Reds Bats Came To Play In Rout Of Rays 12-4

The Cincinnati Reds offense came alive this afternoon, oh my goodness its a miracle! Led by Joey Votto and Devin Mesoraco, who both homered in the team’s five-run third inning to help the Reds rout the Tampa Bay Rays 12-4 to avoid being swept. The Reds are 3-1 in series finale games this season.

Reds starting pitcher Tony Cingrani pitched a solid game allowing only  two runs and five hits over 6 1/3 innings. He walked three and struck out six while extending his remarkable major league record streak to 21 starts to begin a career without giving up more than five hits, I say Cingrani is on his way to being a great pitcher for this team for many years to come.

Filling in for the Rays ace Matt Moore, Rays send out bullpen pitcher Cesar Ramos to start the game. He walked the bases loaded with one out in the second inning to set up a huge chance

Apr 13, 2014; Cincinnati, OH, USA; Cincinnati Reds starting pitcher Tony Cingrani throws against the Tampa Bay Rays during the third inning at Great American Ball Park. Mandatory Credit: David Kohl-USA TODAY Sports

for the Reds. Zack Cozart‘s ground-rule double to right field scored two runs, but a pair of horrendous and pathetic baserunning  killed a potential big inning.

When Cingrani hit a grounder to shortstop, Mesoraco was thrown out running on contact from third to home. Cingrani drifted far from first base to draw a throw, but Cozart tried to score and was thrown out for an inning-ending double play.

The Rays immediately tied the game in the next inning, when Cingrani issued a two out to the number nine hitter  before Ben Zobrist hit a two-run homer to left field.

The Reds’ bats came to work in the bottom of the third inning,  sending 10 men to the plate.  Billy Hamilton leadoff with a single, Votto hit a two-run homer to the batter’s eye in center field. Then with two outs, Mesoraco crushed a pitch the upper deck in the left field, for a three-run homer and a 7-2 Cincinnati advantage.

It was a six-run lead for Cincinnati in the seventh when reliever Nick Christiani gave up Zobrist’s second two-run homer of the day.

Chris Heisey capped off the big day for the Reds with a pinch-hit grand slam in the bottom of the eighth. It was his seventh pinch-hit home run, but the first grand slam of his career.

Great win for the Reds, the bats finally got it going at least on this day. Tomorrow the Pittsburgh Pirates come to GABP, a start of a three game series. First pitch is at 7:10pm.